Save the Snow Leopard: Volunteers in Central Asia Rush to the Aid of the "Ghost of the Mountains"

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: United Nations – United Nations –

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A dire situation

Snow leopards, or irbis, are threatened by poaching, the decline of the ungulates they prey on, conflicts with humans, and habitat destruction due to infrastructure development and climate change. Poachers kill snow leopards for their valuable fur, and local residents may shoot them for attacking livestock, which occurs when predators lack wild prey.

October 23rd is International Snow Leopard Day. It was chosen to draw attention to the dwindling snow leopard population and to unite international efforts to conserve this rare animal.

Today, there are only 3,500 to 7,000 individuals left in the world. The species is officially classified as "vulnerable," just one step away from being considered "endangered."

Experts say the snow leopard's plight is emblematic of a larger wildlife crisis unfolding in the snow-capped mountains of Central Asia.

But the situation in some areas offers hope. Among them is a section of the Tien Shan mountain range in Kyrgyzstan. A small group of volunteer rangers has taken on the task of patrolling 380 square kilometers of one of the harshest areas in Central Asia.

Braving the freezing cold, they try to protect the snow leopard and preserve its habitat.

Kyrgyzstan's Mountains: A Struggle for Survival

More than 90 percent of Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked country of 7 million people, is mountainous. The country's peaks are home to a variety of wildlife, including argali (a type of sheep known for its large, curled horns), Siberian ibex (one of the largest ibex in the world), and Tien Shan ibex (a type of deer). However, many of these animals are suffering from climate change and human activity.

For generations, Kyrgyzstan's vast plains and high-altitude meadows supported thriving livestock farming. However, according to locals, rising temperatures are drying up glacier-fed springs, and falling humidity is depriving lowland grasses of moisture. This is forcing herders to move higher into the mountains—to areas once home to snow leopards and their prey.

The consequences for wildlife could be catastrophic, conservationists say. The habitats of many migratory animals, including snow leopards, are shrinking. Wild sheep, deer, and other herbivores are forced to compete with livestock for grazing land. Furthermore, many wild animals face an increasing risk of contracting livestock-borne diseases, to which they have little or no immunity.

UN support

Several conservation projects aim to counter these negative factors. Among them is a project implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with local partners, the non-governmental organizations CAMP Alatoo and the Ilbirs Foundation, with financial support from Germany. It aims to help rural communities adapt to a rapidly changing climate and protect the wildlife surrounding them.

Among other things, UNEP supported the creation of a 200-kilometer-wide ecological corridor connecting several nature reserves in Kyrgyzstan. This "wildlife superhighway," comprising 10,000 square kilometers of protected areas, allows species to migrate in a changing climate. It is considered critical for the survival of migratory animals such as argali and Siberian ibex, the snow leopard's primary prey.

See with my own eyes

Part of the corridor is patrolled by volunteer rangers like 51-year-old Baatyrbek Akmatov. He and five others are responsible for patrolling the 380-kilometer Baiboosun Public Nature Reserve in northern Kyrgyzstan. Many of the rangers are former hunters.

They travel by car and even on horseback, tracking down both poachers and shepherds who bring their cattle into ecologically sensitive areas.

"We decided to start this project because otherwise we'll lose everything," Akmatov says, referring to the Jaeger Corps. "I don't want to show my children on my phone that we once had such nature, such animals. I want them to see it with their own eyes."

Dangerous work

The Kyrgyz government cannot pay rangers, but authorities have granted them the authority to manage the corridor and arrest poachers. A UNEP initiative, officially known as the "Adaptation of Mammals to Climate Change in Central Asia" project, provided equipment and training.

Patrols can sometimes last three days and take volunteers deep into the Tien Shan. It's dangerous work. Rangers often operate alone (by splitting up, they can cover more territory) and encounter landslides, flash floods, and severe thunderstorms. Sometimes they find themselves face-to-face with armed poachers.

At first, many local residents, including shepherds who feared being banned from grazing their livestock, were outraged by the patrols. But over time, the animals they hunt began to return to the mountains. The snow leopard population is also recovering. In recent months, 12 big cats have been spotted in and around Baiboosun.

New economic opportunities

Animals bring with them new economic opportunities, such as ecotourism.

"People's thinking is changing. They understand the importance of protecting their environment," says Akmatov.

Local partners of a UNEP-led project are training mountain residents in climate-adapted and environmentally friendly farming practices. In the village of Chon-Zhargylchak, women like Eliya Ismailova have been trained in beekeeping, cheesemaking, and greenhouse crop cultivation, increasing their income. Ismailova called this program "a real godsend for the village," which has long struggled with unemployment.

Experts are also working to raise public awareness of the role of wildlife. More than 200 Kyrgyz teachers have been trained in biodiversity. This knowledge is being passed on to students, who staged a play about the life of snow leopards in Chon-Zhargylchak.

Preserve biodiversity

The UNEP-led project aims to support the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a landmark 2022 agreement designed to protect wildlife. Among other things, the pact calls on countries to expand protected areas and strengthen ecosystem connections.

Ismailova's husband, Talant Yusupov, leads a group of rangers from the village. He says the patrols are beginning to bear fruit. For the first time in nearly two decades, wild boar have returned to the area. Siberian ibex, previously virtually unknown, are now regularly sighted. Furthermore, deer antlers have been discovered in the mountains, a sign that they, too, may be making a comeback.

"I'm very optimistic," says Ismailova, who has five children. "We used to tell the children stories about how wild boars and fish once lived here. Now I'm happy they can see it."

*The article was prepared based on UNEP materials.

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